Monday, April 15, 2013

At Home: Monkey Munch

Next on what Micky Eats...At Home, I make Monkey Munch (aka Puppy Chow or Muddy Buddies) to satisfy my sweet tooth. This chocolate-based confectionery treat is most popular in the Northern Midwest, and I have never had it before yet saw a few recipes on Pinterest and thought I'd give it a try. To give my version a different spin, I used Nutella instead of peanut butter, as well as Quaker Oatmeal Squares instead of Chex Mix cereal.Monkey Munch (aka Puppy Chow or Muddy Buddies)

6 cups Oatmeal Squares or Chex Mix cereal in any variety

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup Nutella (or peanut butter)

1 Tbsp butter

½ teasp vanilla extract

1 cup powdered sugar

- Measure out the cereal into a large bowl.
- In a medium glass bowl, microwave the chocolate chips, Nutella and butter until melted and smooth. Start with 1 minute, then stir, and microwave an additional 30 seconds.
- Mix the vanilla into the chocolate mixture, then pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal. Stir gently until the cereal is evenly coated with chocolate.
- Dump the cereal into a gallon zip bag.
- Add powdered sugar and then shake until the sugar coats the cereal. (Be sure to zip the bag closed completely, or you'll have white powder everywhere!)
- Spread mix out onto waxed paper to let it cool.
- Store in a zip bag or airtight container.

The Nutella gives the subtle hazelnut flavor and the Quaker cereal is a bit thicker and holds up better, in my opinion, than Chex Mix for an even crunchier bite. Keith loved this little snack and I often caught him munching away late at night. :) I added some of my Monkey Munch to a store-bought trail mix of nuts and dried fruit to bring to work. The crunchy chocolate combo with the trail mix was really great snack that kept me fueled in between meals. Though I don't have children yet, I plan to make this Monkey Munch time and time again.